in his relationship to her, the bridge to détente would most definitely be Nathaniel.
Sitting back in her chair, she was hit by the enormity of the healing power this little boy brought. It appeared that he was much more than her miracle baby - defying the odds of conception after forty, good health, the auspicious circumstances of his birth - her little miracle had the power to bring hope and renewed resolve to his grandfather as well as to be the conduit to join together the disparate pieces of what had just recently appeared to be an irrevocably shattered family.
And in that moment, Mia too, had hope. Hope that Schooner’s relationships with all of his children would be in a place that brought him happiness again and hope that the three Moore children would have healthy, loving and supportive relationships.
Gavin handed Nathaniel back to her and she kissed her son’s tiny nose. “Your Grandma has been very patient and I don’t think we should make her wait another second before holding you. What do you think, Munchkin?”
Mia stood and walked over to a beaming Dee. Their eyes met as she handed Nathaniel over to her. The joy in holding her grandson for the first time swept away the storm clouds that Mia had seen hovering earlier in Dee’s eyes.
“You look just like your daddy at this age,” she kissed him on his almost chubby cheek.
With his head settled on her shoulder, Nathaniel was asleep within moments.
“You’re staying with us,” Dee announced.
“Mom, we thought we’d stay at the Ritz. We don’t want to put you out or make any more work for you.”
The look on Dee’s face let Schooner know immediately that was not acceptable.
“You’re staying with me.”
Smiling at the dynamic between mother and son, there was no way Schooner was going to disappoint his mother, and there was no way Dee was going to relinquish even a moment with her newest grandchild.
“What are you smiling at?” Schooner asked Mia.
“I’ve never seen where you grew up. You’ve seen so much of my world, but I haven’t seen yours yet, so I’m really excited to see everything. And Dee, thank you for the invitation, we would love to stay with you.”
“Wonderful, we’ll have a nice full house. Zac has been staying with me.”
Schooner looked to his older son and Zac just shrugged. “I didn’t want Grandma to be alone and things at the house are really weird.”
“What do you mean really weird?” Schooner’s body language immediately tensed.
“Well, it’s just uncomfortable there.”
“In what way?” pressed a quickly agitated Schooner. It was clear that he was not going to let up until he got the answer to what was causing Zac’s discomfort.
Taking a deep breath, Zac just looked at his feet.
“Zac, I asked you a question.”
Getting her first glimpse of the tough, disciplinarian father, Mia could feel the tension in the room building to a fevered pitch.
And then, without any preamble, the bomb was dropped.
“Uncle Beau has moved in with Mom. He’s moved into our house, Dad.”
Chapter Fifteen
The air was sucked out of the room and all was still. Dead calm. All Mia could think of was the sky before a huge thunderstorm, where the air was heavy and dank, and the rolling gray clouds took on a tinge of green. Mia always described those few moments before the heavens let loose as feeling like she was in a fish tank, and she thought it was probably fair to say that at that moment, everyone (with the exception of Nathaniel) in Gavin Moore’s hospital room probably felt as if they were drowning in the fish tank as they waited for the vessel to burst, propelling them, flip-flopping, through the rushing torrent of water onto the institutional tile floor.
“He’s living there? Full-time or just staying over sometimes?” Schooner’s cadence was clipped, his strong jaw tight and barely moving as he spoke.
“Well, when I got home for spring break, he was there. Every day. Every night.” Zac
Sitting back in her chair, she was hit by the enormity of the healing power this little boy brought. It appeared that he was much more than her miracle baby - defying the odds of conception after forty, good health, the auspicious circumstances of his birth - her little miracle had the power to bring hope and renewed resolve to his grandfather as well as to be the conduit to join together the disparate pieces of what had just recently appeared to be an irrevocably shattered family.
And in that moment, Mia too, had hope. Hope that Schooner’s relationships with all of his children would be in a place that brought him happiness again and hope that the three Moore children would have healthy, loving and supportive relationships.
Gavin handed Nathaniel back to her and she kissed her son’s tiny nose. “Your Grandma has been very patient and I don’t think we should make her wait another second before holding you. What do you think, Munchkin?”
Mia stood and walked over to a beaming Dee. Their eyes met as she handed Nathaniel over to her. The joy in holding her grandson for the first time swept away the storm clouds that Mia had seen hovering earlier in Dee’s eyes.
“You look just like your daddy at this age,” she kissed him on his almost chubby cheek.
With his head settled on her shoulder, Nathaniel was asleep within moments.
“You’re staying with us,” Dee announced.
“Mom, we thought we’d stay at the Ritz. We don’t want to put you out or make any more work for you.”
The look on Dee’s face let Schooner know immediately that was not acceptable.
“You’re staying with me.”
Smiling at the dynamic between mother and son, there was no way Schooner was going to disappoint his mother, and there was no way Dee was going to relinquish even a moment with her newest grandchild.
“What are you smiling at?” Schooner asked Mia.
“I’ve never seen where you grew up. You’ve seen so much of my world, but I haven’t seen yours yet, so I’m really excited to see everything. And Dee, thank you for the invitation, we would love to stay with you.”
“Wonderful, we’ll have a nice full house. Zac has been staying with me.”
Schooner looked to his older son and Zac just shrugged. “I didn’t want Grandma to be alone and things at the house are really weird.”
“What do you mean really weird?” Schooner’s body language immediately tensed.
“Well, it’s just uncomfortable there.”
“In what way?” pressed a quickly agitated Schooner. It was clear that he was not going to let up until he got the answer to what was causing Zac’s discomfort.
Taking a deep breath, Zac just looked at his feet.
“Zac, I asked you a question.”
Getting her first glimpse of the tough, disciplinarian father, Mia could feel the tension in the room building to a fevered pitch.
And then, without any preamble, the bomb was dropped.
“Uncle Beau has moved in with Mom. He’s moved into our house, Dad.”
Chapter Fifteen
The air was sucked out of the room and all was still. Dead calm. All Mia could think of was the sky before a huge thunderstorm, where the air was heavy and dank, and the rolling gray clouds took on a tinge of green. Mia always described those few moments before the heavens let loose as feeling like she was in a fish tank, and she thought it was probably fair to say that at that moment, everyone (with the exception of Nathaniel) in Gavin Moore’s hospital room probably felt as if they were drowning in the fish tank as they waited for the vessel to burst, propelling them, flip-flopping, through the rushing torrent of water onto the institutional tile floor.
“He’s living there? Full-time or just staying over sometimes?” Schooner’s cadence was clipped, his strong jaw tight and barely moving as he spoke.
“Well, when I got home for spring break, he was there. Every day. Every night.” Zac
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